It's an interesting device for sure, and one coming in at a price that's bound to turn heads (remember, this is aimed at business users, not consumers).

The idea of operating Windows with fingers (and doing real work on it, not messing about for a quick review) bothers me, and would make that $800 seem like a gamble. The digital pen takes some of the risk away, but then I'm not in love with using tablets that need pens or a stylus. I can only imagine that there will be times when Windows, or a Windows-based applications, will be absolute murder to operate on such a small screen.

And I'll pass on the idea of using applications like Microsoft Office - without either a mouse or a physical keyboard to use for shortcut commands, the whole process would become far too maddening.

It's going to be really interesting to see how this is received.

Press release below:

The new HP Slate 500 Tablet PC is designed specifically for business, enterprise and vertical customers looking for the mobility of a tablet, the familiarity of Microsoft Windows 7 and the ability to run custom or corporate applications.

With a starting weight of only 1.5 lb (0.68 kg), the HP Slate 500 Tablet PC sets a new standard for mobile productivity with a an ultra-thin, sleek form-factor that enables businesses such as retail, healthcare, insurance, education and hospitality to be more intuitive and work efficiently while on the go. The ability to easily incorporate custom business applications differentiates this product and ultimately enhances the user experience and saves time for HP's business and enterprise customers.

The 8.9-inch capacitive multi-touch display of the HP Slate 500 Tablet PC allows users to navigate on the screen with the touch of a finger or with the HP Slate Digital Pen and Evernote® software to handwrite e-mail messages and take notes easily.

The integrated VGA webcam on the front of the HP Slate 500 Tablet PC enables video conferencing, while the 3MP camera on the back can be used for still-image and video capture. With Wi-Fi CERTIFIEDTM WLAN, users can send and receive e-mails or access the internet at work, at home, and favorite hotspots.

The HP Slate 500 Tablet PC will be available first in the U.S. and then evaluated for further market expansion.